Umno's calibre under test: Surely an apology is due to Anya, Guan Eng's family

The accusations against Lim Guan Eng’s 16-year-old son by Bukit Gelugor Umno chief Dr Novandri Hasan Basri and highlighted by Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin seem to have ruffled the feathers of the bigwigs in Umno. It is clear that when the media campaign exploded in their faces, Umno took the easy way out and claimed the remarks by the Bukit Gelugor chief were only his "personal view”.

Kuala Nerus MP Datuk Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikr also said that “this is not the party’s stand; Dr Novandri does not represent Umno as he is not a top leader.”

Yet, even if Dr Novandri is not a top leader, he is first and foremost a representative of Umno and a branch leader. Anything said by anyone in a position of leadership should be taken seriously by the parent party. And when such an accusation is made falsely against a Chief Minister of a state, should not Umno, which is the government of the day, exhibit some responsibility and reprimand their own man?

Even more troubling is Umno’s inability to rein in their own Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin. Would Umno use the same reasoning to excuse him? It is unbecoming that a leader of Khairy’s stature is unable to offer an apology for crude remarks made, even in jest, over a micro blogging site which is followed by millions.

Guess what is Umno's MO when a lie is uncovered

And this is where Umno always seems to run scared. Whenever a lie is uncovered, Umno always seems to suddenly disappear behind its wild statements amid and a ton of excuses are offered instead. But if told were to be told, Umno is anything but remorseful. It is only too happy to pat Dr Novandri on his back and congratulate him for tarnishing Lim Guan Eng’s stature through lies about his son.

But Umno would only be making a huge blunder by allowing Dr Novandri and Khairy off the hook. Not many Malaysian would ever forgive them, especially concerned parents who follow Malaysian politics.

It is increasingly clear the lengths that Umno and Barisan Nasional will go to in order to overcome the Pakatan Rakyat, and how they they will use their stranglehold over the mass media in Malaysia to do their bidding. Nothing is too low for them and there is clearly no respect for any measure of human decency.

Take for instance the Datuk T sex tape debacle where television audiences were served nightly clips taken from a pornographic tape. Despite all the religious rhetoric from Umno and BN, they are 'unable' to control their own media from showing a lewd, suggestive sex tape. This sure reeks of high hypocrisy and a lack of mettle.

Anya too deserves an apology

The same can be said in this recent attack against Lim Guan Eng's son, where the claims were baseless and amounted to lies. Lim Guan Eng and child are not the only victims in this attack, 21-year-old chess Grandmaster Anya Sun Corke who is studying at Wellesley College in the United States is also a victim. Thousands of miles away and completely unaware of who Guan Eng and his son are, she too is an innocent victim of this smear campaign by Dr Novandri. Apologies should also be given to her for this out-right attack against her reputation.

And this opens up bigger questions about Umno and its leaders. If Umno leaders are willing to fabricate and even tar innocents from overseas just to build up their lie, how much of the statements, issues, stories, and words spoken by Umno leaders over the past 50 odd years that they have been in power are valid and true? Are there more lies already spoken, which when found out later, will be excused by Umno as mere 'speaking one’s own personal view'. Sad to say, it's cinch there are lots and lots more.

Double standards towards others and its own overall lack of standard

Not too long ago, the Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein also used the same reasoning to excuse away the rantings of Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali when the latter ranted and threatened the Chinese community. Again, Umno distanced itself but still allowed Ibrahim Ali to rant away and create unhappiness and anger amongst the non-Malay communities. Umno did nothing but defend Ibrahim Ali on the grounds that “he has a right to his own opinion”.

But when the comments are not in its favour, such as those made by law professor Aziz Bari, then the police will begin an immediate investigation under the Sedition Act. And this is exactly what Aziz Bari is facing now, for having questioned the Sultan of Selangor's decision on the raid made by the Umno-controlled Jais at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church centre.

Khairy Jamaluddin too defended his actions by claiming that the opposition leaders were no better and employed similar dirty tricks and gutter politicking. According to him, opposition leaders were hypocrites for saying that they did not attack Umno leaders and their families.

Well, to Khairy, we can also say that the remarks made by those opposition leaders “are only the personal view” of so and so, but we won't. Guan Eng was recently flayed blue-black by the MSM for comments about Johor's safety. He was decent enough to apologize. What about you, Khairy? Are you decent enough to do the same?

Malaysia Chronicle